Anybody towing an RV camping travel trailer with F150?

[Boomer]

Just bought a new 26 foot RV trailer Grand Design 2600RB that can weigh up to 7800 lbs. fully loaded. It weighs 6300 lbs. empty and my current 2012 F150 with 5 liter struggled to keep a constant 100 kmh on the highway while I brought it home. So now I'm looking at a new 2021 F150 with the 3.5 Ecoboost with Max Towing package? Debating if its wiser to get F250 with 6.2 that will easily tow 8000 lbs (not interested in a diesel). Anybody here have experience towing RV trailer with F150?

[redo75]

Some people seem to say, you tow with a diesel.
Diesels are like huskies, like to pull.

[5.4MarkVIII]

My 2018 F150 with the 3.5 and max tow. Had no problem with our 27ft travel trailer.

It did need a distribution hitch

We went to a 2020 with the 5.0 and it pulls the trailer but I miss the extra torque of the 3.5.

Personally could not justify the extra cost for less options and more fuel cost to step to a 250. Just to pull the trailer a few times a year

[CDNfyrfytr]

Yep. 30ft tt with a gross of 8500lbs, although the usual camping weight is between 6-7000lbs. Don’t usually carry fresh or sanitary water. As previously stated, a WD hitch is a must. I use a Blue Ox sway pro.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210331/128ddb8d3f75c119926acc0b38f6d235.jpg


Had a ‘13 and now a ‘17, both with the Ecoboost, max tow and trailer mirrors. The engine is well up for the task. The only gripe is that the 10spd trans likes to hunt. I usually lock out 9 and 10th gears. Mileage while towing isn’t horrible but unladen mileage is significantly better than an F250 or F350 with the gas engine. I would recommend upgrading to an LT tire as the stock ones squirm around a lot, even at max pressure. I will be upgrading my brakes this year and replacing the tires with LTs as well as adding a Roadmaster active suspension for additional stability, I thought about airbags but they are a pain without an on board compressor(had them on a previous Sierra).

I was in the same boat about upgrading to an F250, but I can’t justify the extra 20-30k for a few times a year.

Good luck with your purchase and have fun camping!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Boomer]

Nice looking setup. I got the Blue Ox sway pro also. I think I'll need to pull the trigger on an newer 19-21 F150 with the 3.5 EB and max tow package. Thanks for replying! Much appreciated.

[Boomer]

My 2018 F150 with the 3.5 and max tow. Had no problem with our 27ft travel trailer.

It did need a distribution hitch

We went to a 2020 with the 5.0 and it pulls the trailer but I miss the extra torque of the 3.5.

Personally could not justify the extra cost for less options and more fuel cost to step to a 250. Just to pull the trailer a few times a year

Amazing torque on the new 3.5 EB.

[bluetoy]

Here you go. 2018 F150 max tow 3.5 towing a 2017 Reflection 315RLTS. 38 ft long and 10995 max gross on the trailer. 1200 lbs tongue weight. Proper hitch with 1400lb bars. Towed no problem at all. Also could tow the same camper with my brothers 2017 F150 not max tow 5.0 with 3.73 gears. Also pulled it no problem. I also used to tow it with my 2009 f150 max tow 5.4. Honestly I hated the 3.5 Ecoboost. Sounds terrible. Got worse mileage than my brothers 5.0 and similar to my 5.4. Has power to pull no doubt. F250 with a 6.2 will drain your bank account when towing. Expect about 35l/100km. The 3.5 was about 25-25l/100km. Similar to my old 5.4. My f250 6.7 powerstroke is about 23l/100km and is around 12 l/100km when just driving. Doesn't matter what you have, when your are towing that much weight you know its back there.

https://i.imgur.com/mMGdDMq.jpg

[CDNfyrfytr]

Nice looking setup. I got the Blue Ox sway pro also. I think I'll need to pull the trigger on an newer 19-21 F150 with the 3.5 EB and max tow package. Thanks for replying! Much appreciated.

Thanks and you’re welcome. If buying used, make sure the dealer runs the VIN so that you are sure it has the max tow. That will give to an upgrade to the hitch. It also upgrades the cooling system and adds a trans cooler but I believe the 3.5 already has those upgrades. The tow mirrors were a separate option so not all with max tow will have the mirrors and vice versa.

[Boomer]

Here you go. 2018 F150 max tow 3.5 towing a 2017 Reflection 315RLTS. 38 ft long and 10995 max gross on the trailer. 1200 lbs tongue weight. Proper hitch with 1400lb bars. Towed no problem at all. Also could tow the same camper with my brothers 2017 F150 not max tow 5.0 with 3.73 gears. Also pulled it no problem. I also used to tow it with my 2009 f150 max tow 5.4. Honestly I hated the 3.5 Ecoboost. Sounds terrible. Got worse mileage than my brothers 5.0 and similar to my 5.4. Has power to pull no doubt. F250 with a 6.2 will drain your bank account when towing. Expect about 35l/100km. The 3.5 was about 25-25l/100km. Similar to my old 5.4. My f250 6.7 powerstroke is about 23l/100km and is around 12 l/100km when just driving. Doesn't matter what you have, when your are towing that much weight you know its back there.

https://i.imgur.com/mMGdDMq.jpg

Thanks for the reply. That's quite the trailer! Hope youre able to get camping spots this summer...

[bluetoy]

Thanks for the reply. That's quite the trailer! Hope youre able to get camping spots this summer...

We moved up to a 34ft Solitude 2930RL Fifth wheel. Got lots of camping booked. You gotta book as soon as the campgrounds are open for booking. It's tough with so many new campers out there.

[Darkhorse]

Ecoboost F150 is all you need. Trust me. Coyote do struggle and burn way too much gas IMO. Unless you go turbo or supercharged, then all the power is there.


I have ordered the new Powerboost 3.5 full hybrid and looking forward to seeing how it does compared to my 3.5EB. Supposed to be 9.3L/100km so hoping to save some gas too.

[Oppy]

This is a very interesting topic for me to discuss, as I have long dreamed of buying a Class A RV car. I love camping and my family and I often spend time outdoors in summer. I was planning to buy RV this spring, but I still can't make up my mind on the choice. I read professional reviews of different types and models of RV on specialized source (https://campingfunzone.com/2020/10/20/how-much-does-a-class-a-rv-cost-prices-of-45-models/), but I could not make a decision, because each of the options has its own advantages and disadvantages.

[ZR]

What are you leaning towards?

[Boomer]

Just an update to my story here....I ended up buying a 2019 F150 with 3.5 Ecoboost Lariat, equipped with the Max Tow package and 20" wheels. This thing is awesome as a daily driver and tows my trailer much easier than my 2012 5 liter F150. On the highway I can get under 9 liters per 100 km doing 100-110 kmh. Towing the trailer it will get between 18 - 21 liters per 100 Kms. Our trailer is a Grand Design Imagine 2600RB and weighs approx. 6500 lbs. loaded when we tow it. I would not buy anything larger than that considering how it tows in various situations. It requires full concentration towing an RV this size and weight. Even with a properly installed anti sway - load distribution setup, windy conditions and tractor trailers passing you can push you around very quickly. I rarely do more that 100 kmh on the highway. Our trailer is slightly taller than others so it acts as more like a sailboat. Word of caution to anyone wanting to get into towing a trailer, check the truck and trailer specs before buying anything. It's so important to understand payload, towing capacities, weights etc. Towing an RV trailer with a half ton can be very challenging especially for the first couple times. DONT BELIEVE THE SALESPERSON!!!!! I learned the hard way thinking my 2012 with 5 liter could pull 6500 trailer because the max towing spec was 7,700 lbs. Well it could barely get it to 100kmh and the mileage was close 30 liters per 100km. The 18" tires didn't help because it made it sway easier. I'm happy with my setup now and we had some great camping this past summer. Lake Superior is an amazing place to camp and the 9 hour drive there was fairly easy thank God. There are so many beautiful parks in Ontario that we won't be going out of province for a few years....

There are some good videos/channels on youtube to checkout. One being BigTruckBigRV. Cheers and happy camping...